Carton for ice cream



Feb. 26, 1957 D. E. RUECKERT CARTON FOR ICE CREAM Filed Aug. '13, 1952 WC M Q 5 m w ATT RNEY United States Patent CARTON FOR ICE CREAM Dean E. Rueckert, Mokena, Ill., assignor to Swift & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 13, 1952, Serial No. 304,169

2 Claims. (Cl. 229--51) The present invention relates in general to the manufacture of paper cartons and more particularly to an improved carton for use with ice cream or the like, and the method of making the same.

Heretofore cartons which have been available for the packaging of commodities, such as ice cream and other plastic or semi-plastic substances, have commonly been provided with a pull-tab or the like to facilitate the opening of the same without completely destroying the utility of the carton as a container for the remaining portion of the contents. One of the most common types of car ton provides a single pull-up tab afiixed to the cover member of the carton and adhesively secured to one wall of the carton. It has been found that when such a tab is pulled in a manner so as to break the adhesive connection between it and the Wall of the carton, a portion of the upper cover member is torn off and remains adhered to the surface of the product. The reason for this has been that the bond between the adhesive material and the surface of the tab is of greater strength than the bond between the plies of paper. Since the tab has, in the past, been merely an extension of the top member, separated merely by a score line to facilitate bending of the tab, a tear in the plies composing the inner surface of the tab has extended across and into the plies composing the inner surface of the top member. This tearing with the consequent adherence to the product of the torn portion presents an undesirable appearance to the prodnot as the carton is opened and in many instances results in the destruction of the carton to such an extent that it can no longer be used as a container for any remaining product.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved ice cream carton having a pull-tab adjacent the cover thereof which will not possess these undesirable features.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a means for preventing the tearing of the cover portions of a carton having an adhesively secured pull-tab adjacent thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for the manufacture of cartons for ice cream or the like which will not tear when opened.

Additional objects, if not specifically set forth herein, will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention:

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a blank from which the carton of the present invention is formed; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the pull-tab and a portion of the adjacent cover member of the carton of the present invention.

Generally, the present invention contemplates providing a simple and effective means of preventing tearing resulting from the discrepancy between the ply-.to-ply bond and that of the ply-to-adhesive bond in cartons made of paper or the like, having a pull-tab adjacent the cover 2,782,980 Patented Feb. 26, 1957 member thereof adapted to be adhesively secured to one wall of the carton.

More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, one or more slits are placed on the inner surface of the cover member of the carton at a point closely adjacent the crease or junction between the cover and the pull-tab. These slits are of such a depth as to sever only the surface ply of the cover member and are insufficient in depth to materially weaken said member. The slit or slits are preferably made parallel to and coextensive with the tab member. However, it is also within the scope of the present invention to make the slits at a slight angle to the tab member. The location of the slit on the inner surface of the cover member is preferably adjacent the crease or score line between the cover member and the pull-tab, although satisfactory results may be effected by placing the slits at any point on the surface of the cover member within about /2 inch from the fold line. In operation when the tab member is pulled so as to break the adhesive connection between such member and the carton wall, any adhering plies from the tab member will not extend beyond the slit or slits in the cover member, and consequently there can be no adherence between the cover member and the product as the carton is opened.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a blank formed from relatively stiff paper, cardboard or the like. The blank is suitably scored to provide a base portion 11 and side portions 10 and 12. The base member 11 is provided with a pair of laterally extending flap members 14 and 15 adapted to be folded upwardly to form the innermost portion of the ends of the cartons. Side member 10 likewise is provided with a pair of lat erally extending flap members 15 and 17 adapted to be folded over flaps 14 and 15, respectively, to form a portion of the outer ends of said carton. Flaps 16 and 17 contain a pair of slits 18 and 19 adapted to engage with and hold locking tongues 22 and 23 which are provided on flaps 20 and 21 extending laterally of the other side member 12. Adjacent side member 12 and separated therefrom by a score line is a cover member 24. This member likewise has a pair of laterally extending flaps 25 and 26 adapted to be inserted between the outer portion of the carton ends formed by flaps 16 and 20 and 17 and 21, respectively, and the inner portion of said ends formed by flaps 14 and 15, respectively. Extending longitudinally from cover member 24 and coextensive with the lateral dimensions thereof is a pull-tab 27. This tab is provided with an adhesively coated band 28 which is preferably coextensive with its lateral dimensions. The width of the band is relatively slight as illustrated in Fig. 1. It will be seen that as the carton is assembled and the cover member folded into position, tab member 27 will fold down in such a manner as to be adjacent the outer portion of side member 10. Hence, in completely closed position the adhesively coated inner surface of tab member 27 will be bonded to a portion of the outer surface of member 10 as shown in Fig. 2. On the inner surface of cover member 24 and parallel with tab member 27 is provided a laterally extending slit 29. This slit effectively prevents the tearing of any portion of the surfaces plies of cover member 24 inwardly of said slit as the adhesive bond between tab member 27 and side member 10 is broken.

Although the drawings illustrate the use of a single slit, it has been found that a pair of parallel slits is sometimes advantageous. It is considered to be within the scope of the present invention to provide a plurality of slits or a single slit to perform the function of severing any adhering plies in the manner aforesaid so long as said slit or slits are positioned on the inner. surface of the cover member of a carton at a point substantially adjacent and coextensive with the adhesively coated layer of a pull-tab.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A carton blank comprising bottom, side wall, and cover portions, scored for folding, a tab connected to the cover portion and scored for folding, a strip of adhesive on the inner side of said tab for sealing the tab to a side wall when the blank is folded into a carton and a slit on the inner side of the cover portion parallel to and spaced from the score between said tab and said cover portion opposite the strip of adhesive and coex tensive with said strip, said slit adapted to prevent peeling of the inner Wall of the cover when the cover is released from the carton by pulling the tab.

2. A carton comprising a one-piece blank cut, scored, and folded to form a bottom, side walls, and a cover, a tab extending longitudinally of the cover member, scoring between said cover member and said tab, a band of adhesive on the inner surface of said tab spaced from said scoring, and a slit in said cover member adjacent said scoring spaced therefrom and parallel thereto positioned opposite and of a length at least equal to said band, said tab providing a free edge when sealed by said adhesive to a side of said carton whereby the tab can be pulled from the side and peeling of the cover is prevented by said slit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlT ED STATES PATENTS 1,961,375 McAleer June 5, 1934 1,992,222 La Grua Feb. 26, 1935 2,181,837 Snyder et a1 Nov. 28, 1939 2,246,484 Frieders June 17, 1941 2,535,537 Heywood Dec. 26, 1950 2,557,914 Miller June 19, 1951 2,655,304 Inman et a] Oct. 13, 1953 2,661,143 Inman Dec. 1, 1953 

